Mail-bag.



Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET v1.

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d. E. LINCOLN. MAIL BAG.

APPHOATION rum) umzo; 1909.

966,695. Patehted Aug. 9, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SKIES! 2.

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UNTTE' ,CLINTON E. LINCOLN, 0F GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-BAG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON. E. LINCOLN, citizen of the United States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bags and has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and thoroughly efiicient device of this character, the construction of which is such that the mouth thereof may be held in open or extended position so as to facilitate the introduction of mail matter therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail bag, the mouth of which is provided with a reinforcing frame including pivotally united sections, the outer end of one section being provided with a spring tongue adapted to automatically engage the pivoted end of an adjacent section when the mouth of the bag is moved to open position, provision being also made for locking the mouth of the bag in closed position. a

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail bag constructed in accordance with my invention showing the same in open position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the mouth of the bag in closed position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one end of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a top plan view partly in section showing the construction of the lock; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of Fig. 5.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9 1910'.

Serial No. 513,805.

The device comprises a reinforcing frame secured to the upper edge of the mail bag or sack 5 at the mouth thereof and including laterally movable sections 6 and 7 having their inner ends pivotally connected at 8 so as to permit the sections to be swung outwardly and thus open the mouth of the bag when it is desired to introduce letters and other mail matter therein.

Riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the outer end of each pivoted section 6, is a knuckle 9 having a circular head 10, the intermediate portion of which is bifurcated at 11 to receive the reduced head 12 of the adjacent pivoted section 7 there being alined perforations formed in the heads 10 and 12 to permit the passage of a pivot pin; or bolt 13. Both of the pivot pins or'bolts13 are preferably provided with a terminal eye 14 which projects above the upper edge of the reinforcing frame and afford a means where by the bag may be suspended from a nail or other suitable'support when not in use.

The pivoted sections 6 are each preferably stamped or otherwise formed froma single iece of metal bent upon itself to form a pocket 15 for the reception of the upper edge of the material constituting the body of the bag, the upper edge of said material being folded upon itself and clamped Within the pocket in any suitable manner. The intermediate portion of the metal constituting the pivoted sections 6 is bent laterally to form an overhanging flange 16 which extends transversely across the upper edge of the adjacent section 7 when the mouth of the bag is closed, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The sections 7 are preferably of inverted U-shaped cross sectional formation and are provided with similar pockets 17 adapted to receive the upper edge of the mail bag or sack.

As a means for holding the supporting frame in open position when filling the mail bag, or sack, one end of each pivoted section 7- is provided with a spring pawl 18, the free end of which is bent laterally to form a ter minal lip 19 adapted to enter a V-shaped slot or recess 20 formed in the knuckle 9, there being a similar recess 21 formed in the knuckle and adapted to receive the lip 19 when the movable sections are pressed inwardly, thus to temporarily hold the mouth of the bag in closed position.

Pivotally mounted at 22 on one of the movable sections 6, preferably at a point adjant thepivot is a U-shaped clip 23 having spaced depending flanges 24, the metal forming said flanges being pressed inwardly to form lugs or projections 25 adapted to enter suitable depressions or recesses 26 formed in the adjacent faces of the sections 6 and 7 and thus assist in holding the mouth of the bag in closed position when the latter is used for transporting newspapers, paniphlets, and other second class mail matter.

Secured to the inner hinge member 27 of one of the pivoted sections 6, is a locking device or staple 28, the opposite legs of which are adapted to embrace the adjacent pivoted section 7 when the mouth of the bag is closed so that a lock 29 of any desired construction may be positioned on the legs of the staple for the purpose of preventing an unauthorized person from obtaining access to the interior of the bag during transportation or shipment.

If desired, the opposite walls of the mail bag or sack may be formed with transversely alined openings 29 to permit the attachment of a pad lock 30, said pad lock being used either alone or in connection with the lock 29, asdesired.

Thus it will be seen that by exerting a lateral pressure on the sections 6 and 7 at their inner ends, the mouth of the sack may be opened and retained in open position dur ing the assorting of the mail, by means of the pawls 18. In order to close the mouth of the bag it is merely necessary to disengage the pawls 18 from the notches 20 and exert an inward pressure on the inner ends of the sections 6 and 7 when the terminal lips of the locking members will engage the locking notches 21 and retain the mouth of the bag in closed position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A .mail bag having a supporting frame disposed at the mouth thereof and formed of pivotally connected sections, the outer pivoted ends of the sections on one side of the bag being provided with spaced locking recesses and the pivoted sections on the otherv side of the bag being provided with spring pawls each adapted to automatically engage one of the recesses when the mouth of the bag is moved to open position and the other recess when the mouth of the bag is moved to closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON E. LINCOLN. [n s] Vitnesses G. O. MCCAIN, L. L. SPENCER. 

